New Beginning
by Bel-Halliwell
Summary: An alternate ending to the Season 2 finale, how it should have gone. MiSa.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: An alternate ending to season 2. How things should have gone. MiSa**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Prison Break, just use it for fan fiction.**

Chapter One

She paced around the small boat, eyes darting to the dock every minute. Fear was gnawing at her stomach. Where was he? Inwardly she cursed herself for falling for an inmate. It was her golden rule, the one thing she told herself not to do, and she broke it.

She absently picked up items and placed them back down, attempting a brief tidy inside the tiny cabin. She couldn't concentrate.

Suddenly her ears pricked. Was that his voice? Trying to remain calm, she exited the cabin and looked up, to be greeted by his face, the one that had been haunting her dreams since the day she first injected a needle into his arm. She lightly perched herself on the edge of the boat, and he stopped before her, hesitating to touch her.

"I got you message," she said, keeping her tone neutral. She studied his face, trying to depict how he was feeling. "Thank god I found you guys."

Before she could move, he reached down and pulled her into his arms, wrapping his around her and squeezing her tight. She drew in a deep breath, his warm scent filling her nostrils. At once, the stress and fear and worry pooled inside her evaporated, leaving her feeling weak. She was safe in his arms. In that moment, she knew that this was how she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

"Thank god is right," he spoke softly. Withdrawing slightly, he cupped her cheek with his palm and breathed in her sweet scent. She turned her face and laid a light kiss on his hand before straightening up.

"Michael, Lincoln's free," she said, and he stiffened slightly in surprise.

"What?" came a voice from behind her, and she turned to see Lincoln, a shocked look upon his face. She was so focused on Michael she had barely noticed him. A smile spread across her face.

"It's all over the news. Paul Kellerman came forward, he had all the documents and he made a full confession."

Lincoln simply gaped at her, speechless.

"Are you serious?" Michael spoke up, hardly believing what she was saying. Was all the time and effort from the plotting, the escape, the running, about to pay off?

"Yeah," she replied, turning to look at him again. Assure herself he was there with her.

"Everything?" Lincoln asked; eyes still wide.

"Everything. All charges," she confirmed.

Lincoln felt his knees weaken, and lowered himself to a small seat. A million different emotions were running through him, and he took a few deep breaths to get his mind wrapped around the fact that he was now a free man. He was free. No more hiding. "What about Michael?"

Sara smiled slightly and turned back around to Michael. "Uh, a friend of my father's getting into it, but he's pretty confident that under the circumstances no one's going to pursue you on this." She reached a hand up to him and lightly stroked his chest. Michael said nothing, gazing into her eyes then glancing down. This seemed too easy. Was it really happening? He brought his hand up to her shoulder to make sure she was truly there; his mind wasn't playing tricks on him.

"I need a drink," said Lincoln, breaking the silence. Sara gave a slight chuckle, and moved to get up.

"I'll see what I can find," she told him. As she rose to her feet, Michael squeezed her shoulder and she brought her hand up to cover his for a moment. Then she disappeared to the front of the boat and down to the lower deck, leaving the two brothers together. Michael sunk down to the side of the boat, attempting to gather his thoughts.

Lincoln got up and moved into the cabin, placing the gun on the table and picking up a paper clip. Moving back outside, he stood in front of his brother and gave him the clip. "Help me out of this?" he asked, holding out his handcuffed wrist.

Michael swiftly picked the lock and the cuff fell to the floor, yet he hardly took any notice. "We did it, Linc. We did it."

"No," a new voice interrupted them. The two brothers snapped their heads up, to find themselves face to face with a gun. "You almost did it." It was Kim.

Lincoln fired up at once. "You want the money?" He grabbed the pack, containing their financial future, and flung it at the man. It rolled on the dock and stopped before his feet. "Take the money. Take it."

"You think this is about the money?" Kim sneered, kicking the pack off the dock. Michael watched the bag hit the water and begin to float under the dock.

"Then what is it about?" Michael asked firmly, trying to keep a hold on his emotions. "My brother's been exonerated. The president stepped down. We're not a threat any more. It's over."

"You may be done with us, but that doesn't mean we're done with you. The police are on their way." He kept the gun trained on Lincoln.

"It started with me," Lincoln said harshly, eyes shooting daggers at the man. "Let my brother go."

The man shook his head slightly. "Oh, that's sweet. That's sweet. You don't hear that much anymore, that sort of fidelity between families. Two brothers that will go to the end of the earth for each other." He turned slightly and aimed the gun at Michael. "Too bad only one of you survive." He turned back quickly to Lincoln.

"Don't!" Michael yelled, but the sound of a gunshot rang out, scaring the birds out of the trees. Yet it took him less than a second to realise what had happened. The man still held the gun out, but did not move. A dark red patch was steadily growing on his chest.

As the faint sounds of sirens began to be heard, Michael spun around and saw Sara crouched at the top of the boat, a gun in her hand. Panic was etched across her face, and he could see her shaking over what she had just done. Quickly, he jumped into action, knowing they only had moments.

"Start the boat NOW!" he shouted at Lincoln, who was standing in shock trying to process the event that had just taken place. The yell managed to snap him out of it, and he jumped to the controls and began the engine. The boat roared to life

As Lincoln was doing this, Michael dove into the water. Before Lincoln realised what was happening, Michael had grabbed the pack from under the dock and pulled himself to the side of the boat. Lincoln hurried over and extended a hand to his brother, who ignored it.

"Move now. Get us gone before we're dead," he barked, heaving himself into the boat. Lincoln compiled, and the boat jerked to movement. The sound of the sirens increased, deafening them.

Michael glanced back at the receding shoreline, and saw officers jumping out of the squad cars. He saw the glint of guns in their holsters, which snapped a thought to his mind. Sara!

He spun around, and saw her still crouched with the gun in her hand, shaking. A silent tear trailed down her cheek. She could feel his eyes on her, yet did not look up at him. She had just killed a man. She took a life. She had spent her whole career saving people's lives; she wasn't supposed to take one.

Without warning, a gunshot was heard and a bullet ricocheted off the metal railing, barely a foot next to Michael. He dove over to Sara and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of view of the police. Another bullet flew past, barely missing them.

"C'mon Linc, we need to get out of here NOW!" he yelled. Lincoln pushed the throttle right down and the boat shot forward, startling Michael and Sara. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, steadying her. She let out a dry sob, and buried her face in his sweater. She was still clutching the gun, and he eased it out of her hand and shoved it in the pocket of his jeans. With her hands now free, she wrapped both arms around him and held on tight, as if she would die if they lost contact. He was still dripping wet from retrieving the money, but she didn't even seem to notice.

"Michael! Where are we going?" Lincoln's voice rang out. Michael bent slightly and picked Sara up, wrapping her legs around his waist for support. He carried her into the small cabin, where Lincoln stood at the helm steering. He gently set her down on the couch and crouched down in front of her, but held onto her hands. She kept her face down, but he could see the shining trail of tears making their way down her cheeks. She was still trembling. He reached up and cupped her face, forcing her to look up. As he stared into her eyes, he softly brushed the salty tears off her cheeks with his thumb.

"Michael, I took a man's life," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"It's okay. Don't think about that now, its okay. I'm going to take care of everything. I won't let anything happen to you," he told her softly. He leaned forward and pulled her into another hug, one hand coming up to stroke her hair. She melted into his touch, and slowly brought her arms around his neck, pressing them tighter together. They were together, and she was complete, and she wanted him to know.

"I love you Michael," she said quietly, barely above a whisper. She felt his grip on her tense up, and internally she froze. Oh god, what if he didn't feel the same? What if she ruined this? She couldn't survive without him, she knew this, and she couldn't lose him now. Not now, not ever.

Michael, on the other hand, could hardly believe what he had just heard. She told him she loved him. After all he had put her through, after all he had done, and she still wanted him. She loved him. "I love you too Sara," he told her just as softly, moving his head so their foreheads lightly rested together. He gazed into her eyes, and saw both love for him, and uncertainty. "I love you," he repeated, and leaned forward slightly. Their lips met, and through this one kiss they each showed the other how much they meant. They were soul mates. No matter what, they would go on together, forever.

Lincoln watched the two, a small smile upon his face. His little brother was finally getting what he deserved. Michael had spent his whole life looking out for everyone, putting them first, and missing out on a lot because of this. He was finally getting his chance, and Linc couldn't be happier. His mind began to drift over to Veronica, but shook his head before emotion could overcome him.

Michael and Sara slowly pulled apart, and Lincoln nervously cleared his throat. He didn't want to break up such a tender moment, but he knew that there were police after them, probably on boats hunting for them by now, and he needed to know what to do.

"Uh, Mike? Sorry, but I'm driving blind here. And the cops know we're on the water…" he began, feeling guilty for interrupting. Michael and Sara both glanced up, remembering where they were and what was happening. Michael stood up quickly, and rummaged around for a map. Sara toyed with the ring on her finger, a red tinge evident on her cheeks.

Michael found the map he was after, and spread it out in front of Lincoln. "We're here, heading this way. If the police have gotten on the water, they'll be coming from here," he said, pointing at various places on the map as he spoke. Then he pointed to a small device on the dash. "This is a tracker, it will tell us of any boat within 500 yards of us. It also blocks our signal so we can't be seen. There is a cabin 300 miles away, it will take us about two or three days to get there. We'll be safe there. We can stay til things die down. You're a free man now, Linc, but the cops are still after me, and now Sara. We have to hide out until it is all straightened out."

Lincoln couldn't help but admire how systematically and methodically Michael had planned the entire escape. He had backup plans for backup plans, every little detail worked out for anything that could go wrong. How he appreciated it.

"So, uh, we'll be on the water for the next three days," Lincoln remarked. "Guess I better get comfortable." He sat himself down at the helm and picked up a nearby magazine. He caught Michael's eye, and gave a slight nod to Sara, who was still staring at her hands, and a subtle wink. He then turned his attention to the magazine.

Michael gave a small sigh of relief; Lincoln could be pretty attentive and considerate at times. He bent back down to face Sara, and covered her small hands with his. She looked up into his eyes, and found herself caught in his deep gaze. If felt as if he was reading her soul. To a point, he was. Michael stared into her beautiful brown orbs and saw so many emotions. What made him worried was seeing the pain, fear and apprehension in her eyes.

"C'mon," he muttered softly, and stood up, pulling her along with him. She allowed him to guide her out of the tiny cabin, and around down to the lower deck. The room was small, just a double bed, a small chest of drawers, a bench with a couple kitchen appliances, and a tiny bathroom. The air seemed slightly thick, as if there was a layer of tension covering them. She couldn't stand it

"Let's get you out of these wet clothes," she said, tossing him a towel. His eyes never leaving her face, he peeled of the wet sweater, and the shirt underneath. Sara glanced at his chest, blushed slightly, and then took the wet items from his hand. "There are dry clothes in the drawer," she told him, and exited the room to go to the deck outside, giving him privacy to get changed.

Michael was surprised; he had gotten the boy to stock the boat with certain items, but hadn't thought of clothes. Pulling the top drawer open, he saw a couple pairs of pants and tops that would be Sara's. The next drawer down had several pairs of jeans and shirts. She must have thought ahead and brought them with her. He smiled, and grabbed a pair of jeans and a loose shirt. He hurriedly towelled himself off and put the fresh clothes on, not wanting to leave her alone any longer.

Michael walked out onto the deck, and saw Sara sitting on the side of the boat, gazing into the water. It pained him to see such a troubled look upon her face, yet he knew that she was dealing with so much right now. In just weeks, she had aided in a prison escape, had a drug overdose, been almost tortured to death, gone on the run, and killed a man. He wished he could take away all the pain. The best he could offer her though was an outlet.

"Sara…before, on the dock," he started as he took a seat next to her, but she cut him off.

"Don't tell me its okay Michael, because it's not. I killed a man Michael. I shot and killed him. I've spent my life saving lives, yet I've just taken one. It's not okay," she said vehemently. Her eyes started to shine, and she took a deep breath to calm her emotions.

"That man was going to kill Linc," he replied gently. "Then he would have shot me, and probably you. If it hadn't been for you, we would be dead right now. I'm not saying that everything's okay; I can only imagine what you're going through. But I just want you to concentrate on the fact that you saved three lives today. You saved us. You need to understand that to accept what happened."

The tears in Sara's eyes began to spill over. In one swift movement, Michael reached over and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her in comfort. Sara began to sob, clutching his shirt which was slowly dampening with her tears. She was not only letting go of her feelings from the event on the dock, but also the stress and pain from the previous weeks. She felt like a dam had burst inside her, and the tears kept coming. She kept her face buried in his shoulder, hands clutching at his chest. He murmured soft words of comfort into her ear, whilst rubbing soft circles on her back.

They remained like that for quite some time, until her tears dried out and she stopped shaking. Moving two fingers under her chin and tipping her heap upwards, he gazed down at her red, tear streaked face. He softly kissed away the salty trails on her cheeks, and wiped a stray tear with the pad of his thumb. Gently, he traced the outline of her lips, and planted a feather light kiss upon them.

"Sara," he said slowly, his voice cracking on the last syllable. She glanced at him, a serious expression upon her face, and he reached across between the two of them. Picking up one of her hands in both of his and giving it a small squeeze, he drew in a deep breath.

"So much has happened in the past few weeks. Its' been so quick, and we've been together and apart constantly. I haven't had a chance to talk to you properly, without interruptions. This isn't how I wanted things to turn out," he began.

"Michael, I don't," she broke in but he brought his other hand up to her cheek, stopping her.

"Please let me get this out first, I need to tell you this," he said softly, tracing her cheekbone with his finger. The light touch sent chills up and down her spine.

"In the beginning, when I got into Fox River, the female doctor was part of my plan. You weren't. I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you, I was meant to play the part but it became too real. Right from that first needle you gave me, I felt something, and it has grown ever since. I need you to know that everything I did with you was real, not just part of a plan. The origami flower, the kiss – I meant it all. Yet I asked you to leave the door open. I used you, and I hate myself for it. My actions hurt you so much, and because of me you hurt yourself. Now you're on the run from the police, stuck on a boat. Your live has completely changed because of me, and I am so sorry, I never meant to drag you into it like this."

At this point, Sara couldn't listen to any more. She leaned over and brushed her lips against his, silencing him. She gazed into his eyes.

"Don't say another word," she told him gently. "I don't want to hear you apologize. You had to do what you did, to save your brother, and you have. I left that door open out of my own free will, I had choices and I made the decision to stick with you. Yeah, my life has changed, but right now I feel so lucky to have you in my life. If you didn't do what you did, we wouldn't be together, and that thought hurts more than what I've experienced in the past few weeks. I love you."

"God, I love you so much," he whispered, running his hands through her hair. She closed her eyes at the gentle touch, and a small yawn escaped her lips.

"Tired, are we?" he smiled; glad to ease the heavy emotion in the air. She let out a small chuckle.

"Being on the run does that to you. Why, Mr. Scofield, are you feeling a bit sleepy too?" she teased him, just as glad to lighten the mood.

"Well actually, a nap couldn't hurt either of us," he replied. He stood and extended a hand to her with a slight bow, which she smiled at and accepted. He led her back down to the lower cabin, and as he lay down he pulled her along so she fell next to him. Nerves took over her straight away, despite all she had been through with this man over the past weeks, despite their declarations of love, she still felt slightly embarrassed to be lying on a bed with him in such a small room. Being the attentive person that he was, Michael picked up on this and thoughtfully didn't try to embarrass her further. He simply lay back on the bed and closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath and slowly releasing it. He felt the mattress sink lightly next to his torso, and he stole a peek to see her laying next to him, about a foot in between them. She had her eyes closed, and he used the moment to study her face – the way her soft brown hair fanned out around her face, her soft lips, her long lashes.

"Like the view?" she said suddenly, opening her eyes and rolling her head to look at him. To be completely honest, she felt somewhat flattered to catch him staring at her.

"How did you know I was looking?" he asked with a guilty smile, avoiding answering the question.

"Give me some credit; your eyes were burning a hole in my face." She smirked, and reached her hand out to his face. Lightly skimming his cheekbone with her finger, traced down to his collar bone, and then rested her hand upon his chest. His eyes never left hers the whole time. Slowly, he shifted closer until they were just touching, and he leaned over and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips. He began to pull away, but she tightened her grip on his chest and leaned in, giving him a deeper kiss. He returned it, and they remained like that for a few moments, until she pulled away and rested her head on his chest. He kissed the top on her head and brought his arm around her shoulders.

They both closed their eyes, and Sara allowed herself to finally relax in his arms. His hold was warm, comforting, but most importantly – safe. She was almost asleep, when she heard him murmur something into her ear.

"I loved the view."

**TBC…what do you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_Cries filled the air, and Sara groggily woke up. Michael awoke as well, but she gently pushed her hand down on his chest; preventing him from rising.  
_

"_It's okay, I'll get her," she said softly to him, and brushed her lips on his. He gave her a tender smile, and kept his eyes trained on her until she left the room._

_Sara padded lightly down the hallway and into the small nursery, towards the wails. In the middle of the room sat an intricately designed cot and she couldn't help but admire her husband's talented work. Her attention, however, was quickly diverted to the small child lying inside the cot._

"_Shh, its okay baby, Mommy's here," Sara whispered soothingly. She reached down and gently picked up the infant, cradling her close to her chest. The baby's cries soon turned to soft whimpers, settled by her mother's warm embrace. _

"_That's a good girl, sweetie. It's okay, I'm here now." Sara whispered words of comfort to the small child, until the little girl's eyes closed and she drifted back to sleep. Instead of placing her daughter back in the cot, Sara eased down onto the rocking chair, another of Michael's creations, and began to slowly rock back and forth. She gazed down at her daughter, and marvelled at her beauty. The dark auburn hair and red lips made her a tiny replica of her mother – except her eyes. Sara loved her daughter's eyes; they were the exact shade of blue as Michael's._

_A slight movement in the doorway made her look up, but Sara was greeted by the sight of her shirtless husband leaning on the doorway. Her eyes lightly raked over his inky chest before meeting his gaze. He made his way over and stood next to his wife and daughter – his family. He reached a hand out and gently ran it through her hair._

_Sara smiled, and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the soft touch. Combined with the gentle rocking of the chair, she immediately felt very comfortable and sleepy. Maybe a short nap wouldn't hurt…_

"_Sara." Michael was still stroking her hair, but he was calling her name. He was going to wake the baby._

"_Sara, wake up…"_

"Sara, wake up."

Sara's eyes snapped open, and for a moment she was confused by her surroundings. Then it clicked.

It was a dream. Just a dream. And for once, it wasn't a nightmare.

Michael was sitting on the bed next to her, one hand stoking her hair, and a warm expression on his face as he stared into her eyes. The boat was softly rocking as they moved through the water. _No wonder the dream felt real_, she thought. She blushed slightly; glad he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Hey," she said softly, and stretched. Glancing around, the cabin seemed a lot darker than when they first lay on the bed.

"You've been sleeping for six hours," Michael said, as if he could read her mind. "I didn't want to wake you, but I thought you might be hungry. I don't want you getting sick on me."

Sara smiled at his thoughtfulness, and sat up. Then, as the day's events caught up in her mind, her expression grew worried. "Six hours? What's been happening? Where are we?"

"It's okay, we're still safe," Michael reassured her. "We're slightly ahead of schedule, and haven't even come close to the police. Linc has only seen one boat on the radar since, but he's pretty sure it was just a fishing boat. He kept right away though."

Sara nodded, and slid off the bed, straightening up her shirt.

"Food's already upstairs," Michael told her when he saw her start to look around. She smiled and began to head outside, but he made a small noise. She paused and turned to face him. He casually walked over to her and took her hand, and together they walked out to the deck and around to the little cabin.

Lincoln glanced up as he saw the couple coming in, and he hid a small smile to himself when he saw them holding hands. "So Doc, you hungry? We have burgers and salad, not much." He gestured to the small couch, and on it sat several wrapped burgers and a container, which she assumed a salad, was inside.

"But how…?" she began, confused, she knew what food they had on the boat as she brought most of it, but what they had not definitely wasn't it.

"Just before you woke up I stopped at a small dock, and there was a tiny café. I grabbed these for us," Lincoln smirked, grabbing a burger and taking a bite. Sara looked aghast.

"How did you know it was safe? You could have been caught!" she exclaimed worriedly.

Michael, still holding her hand, gave it a squeeze. "It's okay, it only took a few minutes, and he wore a disguise. We wouldn't have done it I didn't think it was safe."

Sara nodded, and Michael offered her a burger. She hesitated slightly, before accepting it and slowly unwrapping it. He grabbed his own, and the three spent the next ten minutes in silence, munching on their burgers and occasionally taking a bite of salad. Just as they were finishing the last few bites, Sara remembered something, and jumped up. She told the two brothers she'd be right back, and disappeared down to the lower cabin.

Michael shrugged at his brother's questioning look, and finished the last mouthful of his burger. "I told you we'd make it one day, didn't I?" he grinned. Lincoln chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you were right. Although, when I first saw those tattoos in PI, I thought you were crazy. Still do at times."

"You got that right," a new voice said, and the boys glanced up to see Sara back in the doorway. She had a smile on her face so Michael knew she was only kidding. In her hand she held three cold beers.

"Ah, bless you Doc," Linc sighed happily, and accepted one. She gave the second to Michael and kept the third for herself. Before any of them took a sip, Michael raised his bottle.

"Here's to freedom." They all clinked their bottles together, and took a sip. As the cool, refreshing liquid entered his mouth, Michael closed his eyes and relished the sensation. He hoped that, within a week or so, he could be relaxing with a cold beer without worrying where the cops were or who was after them.

The three sat for a good hour or so, enjoying the peace of the evening. Sara had gone and brought more beers up, and they each had a couple more. They chatted about little things, stories from Fox River, or childhood anecdotes, but kept the conversation light.

The entire time they ate and talked, the boat had been cruising silently but swiftly through the water, with Lincoln checking every now and then to make sure they were still on track. He didn't need to worry about gas either, as Michael had ensured there were a couple of large bottles of gas to get them through the entire trip, with plenty to spare.

As the conversation lulled, Lincoln let out a small yawn. It didn't go unnoticed by his brother.

"Well, it's getting late, and you've been controlling the boat all day Linc, how about you go get some sleep?" Michael said, motioning for his brother to stand up so he could take the seat at the helm. Lincoln smiled at him gratefully and stood, stretching.

"Thanks man," he said, letting out another yawn but covering this one. He bid the two goodnight and left the cabin to go downstairs, leaving Sara and Michael alone again.

"You can go to bed too, I know you're probably still tired," Michael told Sara. "I'll be fine here by myself."

"You're not going to stay up all night, are you?" she asked surprised. She assumed he would anchor the boat overnight, keep going in the morning. She didn't want him wearing himself out.

"Just a bit further. I know we're ahead of schedule but I just want to get further a bit, even just another hour. I have some plans to make, some things to organize, and it won't happen until we arrive."

"What kind of plans?" she asked intrigued.

Michael smirked. "It's a secret. You'll find out sooner or later. Now go downstairs, and I'll be there in about an hour, okay?"

Sara nodded, and he leaned over to give her a kiss. She grabbed him when he started to end it, and pulled him close so she was flush against his chest. As her tongue explored his mouth he ran his hands up and down her sides, mainly stopping at her hips. She brought her hands up to his face and savoured the kiss, his taste.

After several long moments she pulled away, knowing that if they didn't stop now they wouldn't be able to, and she didn't want to spend her first time with him on a boat with his brother downstairs. Michael looked slightly dazed.

"I guess you aren't one of the nice girls, hey?" he said, breathing heavily.

She simply winked, blew him a kiss and disappeared outside.

Shaking his head, Michael grinned to himself and turned to the map, quickly studying it. He then grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil, and began to scribble plans.

Meanwhile, Lincoln was in the lower cabin, getting ready for bed. He found the spare clothes Sara had brought, and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. He was just climbing under the covers when Sara entered the room. At the same time, they both realised there was only one bed on the whole boat.

Sara blushed, and tried to think of something to say. Lincoln noticed her discomfort, and spoke up.

"Sara, it's okay, you take the bed and I'll, um…" he began, starting to get out of the bed, but she cut him off.

"Don't worry Linc, stay there. We're both responsible adults, we can share a bed. Michael will be down in an hour or so anyway. It's fine," she told him.

He looked uncertain; he knew how much she had risked because of him and didn't want to make her uncomfortable. She smiled reassuringly, and he got back into the bed, making sure to stay far on his side. She grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, and went into the tiny bathroom to change. When she returned, Lincoln was lying comfortably in the bed, his eyes shut. She began to tiptoe over to the other side as to not wake him.

"It's okay, I'm not asleep yet," he told her, making her jump slightly. He chuckled, and she gave him a nasty look, and then grinned back. She slipped under the covers on her side of the bed, and they lay in awkward silence for a moment, until she finally spoke up.

"Hey Linc?" she asked softly.

"Yeah Sara?"

"Tell me about you. All I know about you is stuff from the escape, and how you were framed and all that. Tell me about before it all happened, about you and Michael when you were kids."

Lincoln smiled to himself, and began to speak. He told her about how their father used to abuse Michael, and abandoned them when they were young. He told her about when their mother died, and what it was like going from foster home to foster home. He also told her about his ex Lisa, his son LJ, and Veronica. His voice shook lightly when he mentioned how Veronica died, and Sara could feel the pain he was experiencing through his tone.

Lincoln began to feel too emotional after talking about Veronica, so he quickly changed the subject. "Okay, well you've heard my life story, now tell me yours."

So Sara began to talk. She told him how her mother took off when she was little, how she always came second to her fathers' career and was mainly raised by her older brother, until when she was 10 when he was killed in a car accident. She spoke about her morphine addiction, and her career which ultimately led her to working at Fox River.

Around midnight, Michael anchored the boat near a small, secluded island, and headed down to the lower cabin, finding his way by moonlight. He could hear Sara and Lincoln's voices before he began to go down the steps, and was slightly surprised to find them still awake. He smiled at the sight of them chatting in the bed together, glad that they were getting along and getting to know each other.

"What, my brother and my girlfriend in the same bed together? How could you?" he exclaimed in mock anger, but with a smirk on his face. Lincoln laughed and played along.

"Sorry bro, but Sara realised she was with the wrong brother and now we're an item," he joked.

Sara didn't say anything, although there was a small grin on her face. He had just called her his girlfriend, and she liked it. _Michael is my boyfriend_, she thought to herself, and blushed slightly.

Michael climbed over Sara and under the covers in the middle. With the three adults in the bed, it was a bit squashy, but they would make do until they got to the cabin.

They all bid each other good night, and Lincoln turned to the wall so his back was to the couple. Sara began to turn to her side, but Michael gently grabbed her by the waist and rolled her over so she was half on top of him. She smiled and cushioned her head on his bare chest, and he brought his arm protectively around her shoulders.

Within minutes, the only sound that could be heard was steady breathing, as they each drifted off to sleep.

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

A/N - so sorry about the massively long wait in updates, I've just been lost for time. But here it is, all feedback and ideas are welcomed.

Chapter Three

Michael woke up early the next morning. He lay with his eyes shut, listening to the soft yet repetitive snores coming from his brother and enjoying the gentle swaying of the boat. It took him a moment to realise there was no warm body curled up to his side.

Cracking open an eye, he saw the tiny room was empty except for the two brothers. Slowly, as to not wake up Lincoln, he got out of the bed, and stretched, releasing the tension in his muscles due to sleeping in a cramped bed. Tiptoeing out of the room, he headed up the steps up to the outside deck.

The sun was just rising, and he was greeted by the sight of Sara sitting on the back of the boat, feet dangling just above the water, watching the horizon. She had her arms wrapped tightly around herself to ward of the early morning chill, and the breeze toyed at the ends of her brown hair. He smiled to himself at the sight before him.

Sara had awoken early, to the comfort of Michael's arms. The two brothers had drifted off into a deep sleep fairly quickly, yet she slept in short fits. Every time she closed her eyes, images of Paul Kellerman torturing her would flash through her head. Images of her father, hanging on the study door. Different scenarios of Michael played in her mind as well, yet were far from the happy family daydream she had earlier. These were more of him being captured and taken away from her, him getting killed on the run, getting taken back to Fox River and being put in the chair…

Sara lay silently for awhile, clearing her mind of her dreams and instead simply enjoying the safe feeling of being in his arms, hoping that they would be able to spend every morning like this, minus his brother in the bed of course. However after awhile she began to feel too cramped, so she carefully eased herself off the bed. Quietly, she grabbed a jacket, and exited out to the bitter chill of the early morning air.

The cold was quickly forgotten as she saw the beginning of the sunrise. The sky was a brilliant shade of pink, and she perched herself on the edge of the boat to enjoy the view. The silence was peaceful, and her mind began to wander, mostly to all that Lincoln had told her the previous night, and her growing feelings towards Michael. She once warned herself to never fall for an inmate, yet here she was on the run with one. And honestly? She would do it all again, for him.

Sara was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Michael. He came up behind her and reached out to her shoulder, planning on giving her a surprise good morning kiss. What he didn't plan on, however, was completely scaring her.

As his hand came into contact with her shoulder, she yelped in surprise, still jumpy from her dreams. She began to slip, and before he could grab her Sara fell into the water with a splash.

"_Sara_!" Michael exclaimed. He stared into the water worriedly, but couldn't see her anywhere. Without another thought, he jumped in after her.

Sara broke the surface of the water, coughing and spluttering, and looked up to the boat. She didn't see Michael at first and began to get nervous, but he emerged next to her in the water. He looked panicked at first, but when he noticed her in the water next to him, glaring, his expression became nervous.

"Seriously Michael? What were you thinking?" she cried, splashing water in his face angrily.

"I, uh, just wanted to give you a good morning kiss?" he replied meekly. He studied her face carefully, and was highly relieved when he saw a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. He moved closer to her in the water, both kicking softly to stay afloat. She shook her head in despair at him, but he reached over and claimed her lips with his.

Sara couldn't help but respond to his kiss, and managed to maintain it for a few moments before the need for oxygen became too important. As they broke apart, she realised how cold the water was.

"C'mon, let's get back on the boat before we catch pneumonia," she said, paddling over to the edge of the boat. His hands found her hips and he boosted her up. She clambered aboard, and reached a hand out to help him on. After they were both standing on the deck of the boat, Sara took one look at Michael, dripping wet, with an apologetic smile on his face, and burst out laughing.

Michael, so glad she was finding the humorous side of the situation, began to chuckle. He reached out and grabbed the hem of her jacket, and tugged her forward. She fell into his embrace, and reached up on tiptoe to meet her lips with his.

"Ahem."

The couple broke apart and spun around, to be greeted with the sight of a half asleep Lincoln. _They've finally gone crazy,_ Lincoln thought as he took in their soaked appearance. Michael began to explain, but Lincoln held his hand up.

"I don't wanna know," he said gruffly, and turned to go back downstairs. Sara glanced briefly at Michael, and the two began to giggle.

"I really didn't mean to startle you," Michael said, taking off his shirt and wringing it out over the side of the boat. Sara eyed his glistening tattoos.

"It's okay," she replied, too distracted by the intricate designs to care too much. He caught her looking at his chest, and she began to blush. "Alright, let's get dried off."

They headed down to the lower cabin. Lincoln was in the bathroom, so Michael quickly grabbed a couple of towels whilst Sara selected clothes for them both. They headed back up to the deck, and into the small upper cabin.

Shyness overtook Sara, and she began to dry herself down whilst casually turning her back to Michael. Being the considerate, attentive person he was, he picked up on this straight away and turned away as well to give her some privacy. He dried off and changed, and when he turned back around she was all dressed and towelling off her hair.

"Alright, I think we better get a move on," he said, and went out to pull up the anchor. After it was up he returned and started the engine. "We're a lot more ahead than I thought we would be, so we're going to stop off quickly this afternoon so I can make a few phone calls. Don't worry, it will be safe!" he added hastily as he saw the concern in her eyes.

"I know. I do trust you Michael. I just don't want to lose you again," she replied. He pulled her into a hug, and she closed her eyes as she inhaled his warm scent with a smile.

"You'll never lose me Sara." He placed a light kiss on her lips, but they were interrupted by the rumbling of his stomach. She chuckled.

"Okay, breakfast. Let me go get something for us," she said, and headed down to the lower deck. Lincoln was just coming up, and she told him she was getting them food as they passed.

"So, I take it you and Sara are getting along fantastically," Lincoln commented as he entered the small cabin. Michael glanced up from the helm.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, hiding a grin.

"I just passed her on the stairs, she had the goofiest smile on her face that I guessed she got from you," Lincoln replied. The same smile he witnessed from Sara formed momentarily on Michael's face, and Lincoln groaned. "Oh man, she's got you whipped," he said despairingly. "The next several days are going to be hell for me, having to put up with you two."

"Oh, I don't think it'll be hell…" Michael said slowly, trailing off in thought. He smirked to himself.

Lincoln saw the smirk, yet merely shook his head hopelessly. He knew questioning his brother further would not help, it was better to give up now and just wait for whatever Michael was planning to happen.

"How much further have we got?" he asked, changing the subject. Although he would never admit it, the constant rocking of the boat was slowly starting to slightly upset his stomach.

"Well, we really powered through yesterday, going much further than I thought, and it really helped that I kept going the extra two hours last night. If we go full speed for the rest of the day, maybe a quick half hour stop this afternoon, we might be there by midnight. Think your stomach can handle that much more?" Michael asked, not making eye contact but keeping his voice light.

Damn his brother. He knew _everything_. "I'll be fine," Lincoln replied somewhat icily.

"So I know this isn't much, but it'll do for now…" came Sara's voice, and she came into view carrying a bottle of juice, a few apples and a bag of savoury bread rolls.

"Oh, bless you woman," Lincoln sighed, and tore into the bag of rolls.

"Someone's hungry," she remarked with a grin as she bit into an apple.

"Yeah, I am, which is weird since I didn't even go for an early morning swim to work up an appetite," he shot back cheekily.

Michael sniggered at his comment, and Sara turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Hang on, if I remember correctly it was _your_ fault any swimming was even done this morning!" she told him, trying to appear annoyed but failing.

"What, are you saying you didn't enjoy our little rendezvous in the water?" he teased her.

"Oh, of course I did, there's nothing I like better than being half scared to death, pushed into freezing cold water and nearly drowning," she replied dryly. When Lincoln wasn't looking however, she winked slightly in Michael's direction. He caught it and smirked to himself.

* * *

That day on the water, the atmosphere on the boat was calm, relaxed. There wasn't any police in sight, not since they left Panama, and the thought that Lincoln had been exonerated was still a high point, despite Michael and Sara's troubles with the law. But out on the water, secluded from everyone else, the three simply enjoyed being in each other's company, unwinding from the stress of the previous few days. They sat around the back of the boat, drinking a few beers, playing cards, and talking about anything that came across their minds.

Around mid afternoon, Lincoln got up from where he was stretched out on the deck, munching on an apple, and strode over to Michael at the helm. "Here, take a break, I'll go for a bit."

"Thanks Linc," Michael replied and stood up, stretching to relieve his stiff muscles. Sara tore her eyes off her magazine and eyed his body secretly from her bench seat at the back of the boat, back resting against the side with her feet up along the seat. She quickly looked out at the water as Michael glanced in her direction. She wasn't smooth enough for him not to notice, so he casually walked over to her. She kept her attention focused to the magazine, and tried not to look up as he eased himself on the bench between her legs and lay down, so his head was resting on her stomach.

_Wait, why am I playing hard to get when he's definitely already got me?_ She thought to herself, and tossed the magazine down. She brought her soft hands to his head, and gently ran her fingers through his short hair, rubbing his temples. In return, he pushed the bottoms of her pants up and started slowly, teasingly, running his long fingers up and down her calves.

Lincoln watched them out of the corner of his eye, and shook his head dejectedly. He was screwed for the next few days. Michael and Sara had officially reached the teenager stage – they couldn't keep their hands off each other. This was not going to be fun for him.

Early evening, when the sun had just gone down, Michael decided to stop for a rest. He was happy with their progress, and had a few phone calls to make. They had reached a tiny town, but luckily it had a dock.

"Alright, lets anchor here," Michael said, reluctantly getting up from Sara's hold – he hadn't moved since he lay down.

"So what's the plan, bro?" asked Lincoln, looking up from the magazine that he was flipping aimlessly.

"We can stop here for no more than 20 minutes. We need to stock up with food and things we'll need for the next few days at the cabin, it's pretty secluded. We won't be able to leave until Sara and I get cleared, and the Company is stopped. I have people working on that right now for us," Michael replied. He grabbed two caps and tossed one to his brother. Sara was pretty unrecognisable, since she had dyed and cut her hair.

"You do?" Sara asked in surprise.

"Of course I do. I don't want our lives being on the run. I've ruined things enough for you, so I'll fix it," he said, jumping lightly onto the dock. He extended a hand out to her, which she accepted and climbed off the boat, but kept hold of his hand.

"You haven't ruined my life," she said quietly in his ear, whilst Lincoln was getting the pack of money – not a chance they were leaving it behind, unguarded.

Michael glanced at her, and his blue eyes met her brown ones. She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I love you Michael. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

"Okay, let' get moving," Lincoln interrupted, getting off the boat and making his way up the dock. Michael leaned over and gave her a small kiss, and they followed after Lincoln, heads down as to not attract too much attention.

A minute or two later, they were in the outskirts of the town, eyeing the place up. Michael stole a glance at his watch. "Linc, give me the pack. You and Sara, I need you both to go to that general store there and get us supplies – food and necessities. Stuff to last about a week or so-"

"A week or so?" Lincoln interrupted, wide eyed. "We're not going to be there that long, will we?"

Michael glared at his brother. "No, we won't be there that long. Just trust me, and get plenty of stuff. You never know what may happen. I need you guys to meet me back here in 20 minutes, okay?"

"Where will you be?" Sara asked him, a touch of concern in her voice. Michael smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry. I just have a few other things to get. We can't waste time, I don't want us out in public more than we need to be, not until it all blows over," he explained.

Lincoln handed the heavy pack over to Michael, who took it and handed him a small wad of notes. With a quick nod, Michael watched his brother and girlfriend walk away, and turned to move in a different direction.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N – Thanks guys for the kind reviews, you all definitely know how to put a smile on my face. I'm glad you are enjoying it, if you have any ideas, suggestions or tips I will be more than happy to hear it._

* * *

Chapter Four

Lincoln and Sara roamed the aisles of the small general store, grabbing random items. Sara was sure to get the practical items, like bread and long life milk, whereas Lincoln went for the snacks.

"So what do you think he's up to?" Lincoln asked, swinging the basket between them.

Sara weighed the bag of apples in her hand, and grabbed a few more. "I wouldn't have a clue. He's your brother, isn't he?"

Lincoln chuckled. "I still haven't figured him out. He's always been pretty complex, ever since he was a kid."

"Because of his low latent inhibition?" Sara asked.

Lincoln glanced up sharply from the two boxes of cookies he was trying to decide from. "You know about Mike's LLI?" He was surprised; he knew that Michael never spoke about it.

"Yeah. Whilst I was at Fox River, I had a meeting with his psychiatrist. I was trying to find out more about Michael, so I could help him. He was one of the few I thought I could actually reach out to," Sara told him. They rounded the corner and made their way down another aisle. Sara grabbed a few toiletry items and a first aid kit, and tossed them into the basket. "He's a pretty amazing guy," she commented.

"Definitely," he agreed. "I worry about him sometimes. He tends to take looking out for people a little too seriously."

Sara snorted. "Like the whole pretending to rob a bank to get thrown into jail to help his brother escape? Definitely…but I'm glad he did. It will be nice to have a brother in law."

It took a moment to realise what she had just said. When she did, she began to blush furiously.

"Brother in law, really?" Lincoln smirked, poking her lightly in the arm. She spun around and grabbed him on the arm, panic evident on her face.

"Don't tell Michael, please Linc," she begged. "Oh god, I didn't mean for that to slip out. I had a dream yesterday; I guess it just stuck with me. But promise me, you won't tell Michael what I just said. I don't want to screw this up!"

Lincoln held his hands up in defence. "It's okay, your secret's safe with me. I won't say anything."

Sara smiled in relief, and glanced at her watch. "We have to meet Michael soon. We better get a move on."

Lincoln nodded, and they began to make their way over to the counter. As the store clerk scanned the items and packed them, Lincoln slung an arm around her shoulders and leaned close to her ear. "I don't think you need to worry about screwing this up. The entire time we were on the run, Michael wouldn't stop worrying about you. He's got it bad for you."

Sara smiled and reached over, giving Lincoln a warm hug. He returned it, squeezing her lightly. As they began to pull apart, Lincoln whispered something else into her ear. "It'll be great getting to know you better, sis."

Sara glowed as she heard these words. Blushing again, she picked the bags of groceries up as Lincoln handed several notes over to the store clerk, and they left the store, heads down inconspicuously.

Michael was already waiting for them at the dock. A plastic bag sat by his feet, a delicious smell wafting out of it. He had his back to them and talking on the phone. As they got closer, they could here his voice murmuring, but he was speaking too low for them to make out the words. He hung up as they reached him, and turned to face them.

"Okay, let's get going again," Michael said as he slipped the phone into his pocket, bending down to pick up the bag of food. They began to make their way down the dock towards the boat.

"Who were you talking to then?" Lincoln asked his brother, curious about the phone call.

"Just someone helping things get sorted out," Michael replied shortly, not making eye contact. Lincoln frowned but let the subject drop. They boarded the small boat again, and Sara took the bags of groceries downstairs and stashed them in the room.

Lincoln had started the boat up again and they were back on their way by the time she returned. Michael stood next to his brother in the small cabin, staring listlessly out the window. She came up behind him and ran a hand up his back. He turned to see her, face lighting up slightly to see her, yet he appeared very distracted.

"You okay?" she asked him softly.

Michael brought his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah," he replied, shaking his head to snap himself out of his daze. "Lot on my mind. It's okay."

He reached over to the plastic bag he had brought on board with him, and began removing plastic containers out of it. "I hope you guys are in the mood for Chinese food. There was a little takeaway shop; I thought another hot meal would be nice."

"Thanks man, I'm starved," Lincoln replied as he reacher over to accept a container and a plastic fork from Michael. He didn't wait, and began eating immediately, as if it was his first meal in a year.

Sara shook her head amusedly at Lincoln, and sat down on the floor of the cabin. She made herself comfortable, resting her back against the wall, and opened her container of food. It smelled delicious. Before she took a bite, she glanced up at Michael.

"Eat with me?" she said softly, and nodded to the ground next to her. He grinned, and joined her on the floor. They began to eat silently, simply enjoying being in the presence of each other.

* * *

_So warm…so safe…so comforting…_

These were the thoughts running through Sara's head, as she relished the feeling of being I wrapped up in Michael's embrace. They had all long since finished eating, and it was well and truly night. Sara and Michael were still on the floor of the small cabin, yet she had moved to his lap and was resting against his muscular chest. She had just woken up after dozing off, yet kept her eyes closed, not wanting to ruin the moment. Considering how the last few weeks had shaped out, there was no guarantee that she could spend her future days with him, so she planned to enjoy his embrace for as long as she could.

"Still asleep?" came Lincoln's voice.

"Yeah," Michael's voice replied softly, and Sara felt the arms holding her tighten ever so slightly. She kept her eyes shut. "How far away are we?"

"We'll be there soon. You might want to wake her up now," Lincoln said, and she felt Michael's head move slightly.

"No, she looks too peaceful. I'll let her sleep, and carry her inside." The arm he had wrapped around her upper torso moved, and she felt a soft hand caress her cheek.

"You really love her, don't you." Lincoln's question sounded more like a statement.

"I do." There was no hesitation whatsoever in Michael's voice, which made Sara glow inside. "She's the one, Linc. I really love her; I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"I'm really happy for you man," Lincoln replied, his voice slightly wistful.

"Hey, just think – you can live with LJ now. He won't need to hide or anything; it's a fresh start for you both."

There was a pause, and then Sara heard Lincoln's voice, a considerable amount happier. "Yeah. That'll be nice."

"Anyway, you just gotta have a little faith. Things will get better. I promise." Michael's arms pulled her a little tighter, and she felt his lips brush her temple softly.

"Okay, we're here Mike. I'll anchor, you get her ready. It's pretty dark; I hope you know where the cabin is."

Sara felt the boat stop, and footsteps move past her. Then the hold on her loosened, as Michael rose to his feet, but he kept one arm on her, supporting her back. He smoothly put his other arm under her legs, and scooped her up in one fluid motion.

She opened her eyes, to find her face inches from Michael's. "Hey," she murmured softly, as she brought her arms around his neck.

"Hey. I didn't want to wake you, you looked so peaceful," he whispered. She smiled and leaned her head forward, meeting his lips. They shared a slow kiss, before she withdrew slightly, their foreheads just touching.

"Okay, ready?" Lincoln said as he re-entered the cabin. His head was down, but as he looked up and noticed he was interrupting an apologetic look crossed his face.

"So we've made it?" Sara said quickly, wriggling slightly in Michael's arms. He took the hint and carefully let her legs go, so she stood herself.

"Uh, yeah. Just need to get our stuff," Lincoln replied. She nodded. The three quickly spent the next few minutes gathering up all their clothes and food and stuff, and were soon ready to go. Sara held the bags of groceries; Michael had the pack of money and Lincoln carried another pack, with their clothes and bits and pieces.

"Okay, you guys need to follow me; it's about a ten minute walk. Stay close, it's pretty dark and I don't want to lose anyone," Michael told them, flicking on a flashlight as they stepped off the boat and began to walk up the dock.

The moon was half covered in clouds, providing little light. They began to walk in single file, with Lincoln bringing up the rear. Once or twice they would pause, whilst Michael studied a tattoo, or inspected their surroundings. After about fifteen minutes walking through dense bush, they arrived at a small clearing. In the middle was a log cabin.

"It looks pretty small," Lincoln commented unsurely, eyeing up the cabin in the light of the flashlight.

"Don't worry its much bigger inside. C'mon," Michael replied, heading up the small porch steps. Instead of going to the door, he walked to the window, and reached up to the top of the windowsill. He felt around, and then grinned as he held up a key. He put it into the lock, turned the knob, and the door swung open with a creak.

It was pitch black inside, and a musty odour wafted out to them. The three began to walk into the cabin, following the light of Michael's flashlight.

They had entered into a kitchen, and they made their way over to the counter where Sara dropped the bags of groceries. Michael moved over to the wall next to the door, and flicked a switch.

There was a flicker of light, and the room dimly lit up. "At least we have electricity," Michael said lightly, glancing around at the ancient dining table and old fashioned décor.

Lincoln chuckled. "How about saving the grand tour for the morning? It's 1am, and I for one am pretty tired. Where are the beds?"

"Right. Okay, there are four bedrooms upstairs. Follow me," Michael replied, heading over to a staircase. They trooped upstairs, and saw a small hallway with several doors. "This first door on the right is a bathroom, the rest are all bedrooms," Michael said.

"Great," Lincoln said, swinging the pack off his back. He quickly rifled through it and pulled out a few clothes, then nudged it towards the other two. "Goodnight, see you tomorrow," he said, and entered the first bedroom. He shut the door behind him, leaving the couple alone in the dimly lit corridor.

"Right, well I'm just going to freshen up," Sara said, pulling a pair of sweatpants and a shirt out of the pack. She began to enter the bathroom, and paused. Michael glanced up questioningly, and she turned around and strode over to him. In one swift movement she reached up around his neck with her free hand, and pulled his head down, pressing her lips against his. He was surprised at first, yet just as he began to respond she broke it off.

"See you soon," she told him, and disappeared into the bathroom. He stood still for a moment, staring at the closed door, and shook his head with a smile. He bent down and picked the pack up, and headed into another bedroom, leaving the door open.

Sara quickly got changed into the fresh clothes, not quite believing how bold she had been acting around Michael the past few days. She took a brush out of her bag and ran it through her hair several times, then washed her face. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, she exited the bathroom and entered the bedroom.

Michael was sitting on the bed, and glanced up as she came in. She smiled at him, and dropped her bag on the floor by the bed.

"Are you okay with this?" Michael asked her, and she looked at him with a confused expression. "Sharing the same room, I mean."

She shook her head with a smile, and sat next to him. "It's not like we haven't shared a bed before," she said, bringing a hand up to his face and caressing his cheek softly. "Besides, I trust you more than anyone; I know you wouldn't do anything if I didn't feel comfortable." She got up and moved to one side of the bed, pulling the covers back and getting in.

Michael waited until she was comfortable, then got up and flicked the light off. He felt his way over to the bed, pulling his shirt off on the way and dropping it on the floor. He slid over until he reached Sara, and pulled her into his arms.

"Love you," he whispered, dropping a soft kiss onto her lips.

"Love you too," she replied, giving him another kiss back. She broke it off but lingered close, so he used the opportunity to kiss her again. He lightly nibbled her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss.

They remained like this for several minutes, before Sara ended the kiss. "If I don't stop now, I won't be able too," she whispered, breathing heavily.

Michael nodded. "I don't want our first time together to be here. It's going to be special, in our own place, not on the run."

"Something to look forward too," Sara said, moving her head to rest on his chest. She brought a hand up to rest on his chest near her face, and traced small circles with her fingertips, enjoying the feel of his skin. He returned the gesture by slipping his hand under her shirt and lightly skimming her back with his palm.

Relaxed in his embrace, Sara happily closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Michael, lulled by the sound of her even breaths, dozed off soon after.

* * *

Lincoln awoke with a start. It was morning, as there was light coming through the window in his room, yet that wasn't what woke him up. He rubbed his eyes, trying to work out what woke him up, when he heard a noise.

A car.

Nervous, Lincoln jumped to the window and peered out. There was an old, dirt track that led to the house, and there was a car driving along it towards the house. _Shit, someone's found us,_ Lincoln thought in a panic, as he hurried over to his door and into the hallway. _Where's Michael?_

He opened the first door, but found the bathroom. The next door he opened was better, as he was greeted by the sight of his brother and Sara curled up together in bed.

"Mike," he whispered urgently, trying not to wake up Sara.

Sara woke up, and sat straight up. She noticed Lincoln by the door, and gave him a confused look. Quickly noticing the panic on Lincoln's face, she shook Michael awake.

"Mike! There's a car coming," Lincoln said quickly, which caused his younger brother to jump out of bed. Michael reached into the pack with all the money, and withdrew a gun that he carefully tucked into the waistband of his pants.

"Stay here," he warned Sara, who shook her head stubbornly and got up. The three made their way quietly out into the hallway.

Lincoln moved ahead and began to stealthily creep down the stairs, with Michael right on his tail. Sara followed along, leaving a slight distance between her and the brothers.

"Stay here and watch my back," Lincoln whispered to his brother, who nodded. He crept over to the front door, and peered out of the small window next to it. A car had pulled up, and there were several figures climbing out. Door slams echoed through the silent cabin as they strained to hear voices, and Lincoln narrowed his eyes to help make out who the people approaching the cabin were.

"Oh my…" Lincoln said slowly, and Sara glanced at him sharply. Michael turned around to her and reached out for her hand, pulling her close. Together, they watched Lincoln straighten up and yank the door open, to reveal several people standing on the porch. They couldn't see who he was looking at, but their attention was soon diverted when Lincoln collapsed on the floor, out cold.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Linc!" Sara cried, hurrying forward. She paid no attention to the people at the door, kneeling down and focusing just on the man unconscious on the ground.

"He's okay, he's just shocked," came a female voice, and she glanced up to see two women and a teenage boy. The woman who spoke stepped forward slightly, and smiled.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Sara asked cautiously. This woman looked familiar. She had met her somewhere… Sara didn't have to wait long, as Michael soon answered her question.

"Veronica! It's so good to see you," he said, striding over and pulling her into a tight embrace. He could feel his eyes tearing up slightly, but he hurriedly blinked them away before withdrawing. He then turned to the teenage boy, who grinned at him. "LJ, man, I've missed you," he said, pulling him into a hug.

"What? I thought you were dead!" Sara exclaimed, staring at Veronica. Now she knew how she recognised the woman – she had visited her when looking into Lincoln's case.

"Yeah, it's a long story," Veronica replied with a smile. "But I'm alive. I guess it came as bit too much of a surprise for him." She gestured down to Lincoln, still unconscious on the floor.

"Michael, go get me some water please?" Sara asked, lightly slapping Lincoln on the cheeks. He didn't respond. Michael obeyed, filling a glass up with water and handing it to her. She poured a small amount onto her hand and splashed it on his face, causing him to awake.

"What the…where am I…?" Lincoln muttered as he came to, wondering what he was doing on the floor. He looked at Sara questioningly, who smiled and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Linc," she said gently, and nodded up to the woman standing before them. Lincoln's eyes trailed upwards, and widened when he saw Veronica.

"You're _dead_!" he exclaimed, pulling himself to a seated position.

Veronica smiled softly and knelt down on his other side. She reached out and took a hold of his hand between her two small ones. "No, it's okay. I'm still alive."

"But on the phone…you got shot…they killed you," Lincoln said, trying to comprehend the fact that she wasn't dead after all.

"Yeah, I did get shot," she told him, giving his hand a squeeze. "I lost my phone. But I managed to get away, god only knows how, and I got myself to a small hospital and they fixed me up. I've been sort of on the run ever since and only met up with LJ and Jane last night, thanks to info from Michael."

Lincoln turned his head and glared at his brother. "You knew. You knew all along she was alive and you didn't tell me," he accused. "That's mean, Mike. That's really mean."

"I only found out a couple days ago, but if I did tell you, then you wouldn't have had such a nice surprise today," Michael retorted with a grin on his face.

Sara stood up from her kneeling position, and Michael wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. She leaned back against him, bringing her arms on top of his, and together they watched the happy reunion before them.

Lincoln slowly climbed to his feet, Veronica rising with him. He looked at her intensely for a moment or two, and then suddenly reached forward, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. She squeezed back just as tightly, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Sara smiled at the happy couple, and turned to the other people in the doorway. "Hey LJ," she smiled at the teenage boy, who grinned and nodded back. She then looked at the cloned woman and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Sara Tancredi."

"Jane. Nice to meet you," the blonde woman replied, shaking Sara's hand. "I've had LJ with me the past few weeks."

Lincoln released his hold on Veronica, and reached out for his son. LJ stepped forward, and the two of them shared a quick, yet loving embrace.

"Okay, how about we all move inside a little bit?" Michael spoke up, glancing cautiously out the door. Everyone moved into the kitchen, taking seats around the large table, whilst Sara busied herself boiling the jug and making cups of coffee for everyone. Michael quickly shut and locked the door, then made his way over to Sara.

"Linc seems happy," she said softly, glancing to the table where Lincoln was still holding Veronica's hand as they all talked.

Michael nodded. "He deserves this. After all he's been through, he deserves something good." He slipped an arm around her waist, and used his available arm to help scoop coffee into the mugs.

"At least we know what you've been plotting the past couple of days," Sara commented.

Michael grinned slyly. "Don't think I'm finished yet though. I still have a few plans up my sleeve for us that you don't know about."

Before Sara could question him further, he pressed a quick kiss on her lips and carried over a few mugs of coffee to the table. She shook her head hopelessly, and brought the last few mugs over. She sat down in the seat next to Michael, who surreptitiously brought a hand to rest on her thigh.

They joined in the conversation, mainly chatting about what had been happening with each other since the escape; however the conversation stayed mostly light. Jane furtively glanced at her watch once or twice, and when the conversation lulled slightly she spoke up.

"Look, I'm sorry to break up the reunion and all, but I'm going to need to get moving, time's not really on our side," she said. She faced Michael to continue. "I'm going to need those documents."

Michael nodded, and gave Sara's leg a quick squeeze before getting up. He headed upstairs, yet returned only a moment later. He held a large manila folder in his hand, which he gave to Jane. She nodded at him in thanks, and rose to her feet.

Veronica and LJ rose as well, yet Lincoln didn't release her hand.

"You have to leave?" he asked, disappointment etched on his face.

"I need to leave, but Veronica has to take me," Jane spoke up. "I have someone on our side picking me up in a chopper about two hours away from here. I had to come to get this information." She gestured to the manila folder she was holding. Noticing the discontentment on Lincoln's face, she came up with an idea. "Why don't you come?"

"Are you sure?" Lincoln asked uncertainly, despite his difficulty hiding his grin.

Michael nodded. "Go ahead, Linc. Sara and I will stay here, and you guys will be back this afternoon anyway."

"Alright," Lincoln declared, standing up. "Let me just go get changed, I'll be right back."

* * *

Michael and Sara stood on the porch, watching as Lincoln, LJ, Veronica and Jane climbed into the car. With a quick wave, they drove off, leaving Michael and Sara alone at the secluded cabin. Together, they turned and headed back inside; Michael being sure to lock the door behind them.

"Well, considering it's 7:30am and we're still in our pyjamas, I think I might go have a shower," Sara said, glancing down at her sweatpants and tank top.

Michael eyed her up and down, noticing her blush slightly. "Well I think you look amazing, but go ahead. I'll start breakfast."

She nodded, her already pink cheeks darkening in colour slightly, and disappeared up the staircase. He watched her go with a tender smile on his face, and then turned to the bags of groceries that were still stacked on the counter. Rifling through them, he located several bags of apples, oranges, strawberries and bananas, and began slicing some up. He tossed it all into a bowl, and made two fresh cups of coffee.

Michael was just putting the fruit and coffee out onto the kitchen table when Sara returned, wearing a pair of jeans and a fitted, soft pink top. Her hair was damp, and she towelled it off as she entered the room.

"God, it's so nice to have a shower after being stuck on the water the past couple days," she said as she draped her towel over the back of a chair. The aroma of the coffee reached her nostrils and she inhaled deeply. Her first cup earlier had done nothing for her.

Michael noticed this and picked up a mug, bringing it over to her.

"Coffee?" he said with a grin, wafting the mug before her. Her eyes lit up and she reached out to take it, however Michael moved it out of her reach just before she could grasp it. "Say please," he teased her.

Sara grinned slyly, and pressed her slim frame up against him. Reaching up on the tips of her toes, she began placing soft, short kisses on his lips. "Please, Michael," she murmured between kisses. He smiled and allowed her to take the mug, and after a couple more kisses they sat down at the table.

"So, you and I have the house to ourselves until the afternoon," Michael commented between bites of fruit. "Then Linc, Vee and LJ will be back, stay the night, and be gone most likely all day tomorrow."

She glanced up from the strawberry she was about to pop into her mouth. "Why, what's happening tomorrow?"

"Just stuff to get the Company off our backs and to get us off the hook," he told her. "Jane found some information, so did Veronica, which will really help us take down the Company. From what Jane told me, Kim had been too involved personally to just give up when Linc was exonerated. That's why he tried to kill us; he wouldn't have stopped until we were all dead. They know of a few big names, if we do this right they will stop, and you and I will be cleared."

She nodded slowly, processing this new information. A thought occurred to her, and a small chuckle escaped her lips.

"What?" Michael asked her, raising a suspicious eyebrow when he saw the small smirk on her face.

"Nothing. I just never thought I'd see the day when I would be on the run, relying on Lincoln Burrows, the accused killer of the Vice President's brother, to help me," she told him with a slight giggle. Michael shook his head amusedly, and they continued to eat their breakfast.

After they had eaten and cleaned up, Michael stretched subtly, attempting to relieve the tension and stress stored in his muscles, built up from the events of the past couple months. Sara noticed, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Go have a hot shower, it'll help. Trust me," she told him. "I need to check you over after anyway."

Michael grinned, but compiled and headed upstairs. She unpacked the groceries and stored them in the cupboards, throwing away the empty bags. The only item left was the first aid kit, which she picked up and made her way upstairs.

The shower was still running, so Sara went into their bedroom. Sitting down on the bed, she emptied the contents of the first aid kit and inspected the items. There was plenty of bandages and a bottle of antiseptic, and considering the number of times Michael entered the infirmary at Fox River with a new injury, she guessed she would need them.

"Hey," Michael said, entering the room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Sara glanced up, and her gaze froze on his glistening torso. She drew in a slow, shuddering breath, in a futile attempt to slow down her suddenly racing heart.

"Like what you see?" he smirked, loving the effect he was having on her. She gulped slightly, and tore her eyes away back to the medical items on her lap.

Michael pulled a pair of jeans and boxers out of the pack of clothes, and moved to the other side of the room behind Sara. He quickly pulled them on, and then sat next to her on the bed, his legs crossed so he was facing her front on.

"Alright, let's see how you're doing," she said softly, crossing her legs under her so she could face him too. She reached her hands up and lightly rested them on his shoulders. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," he replied smoothly. "I'm all yours, doc."

Sara took this as a personal invitation to explore his torso, and began gently running her fingers over his chest. She lightly traced the outlines of his tattoos, occasionally leaning forward to inspect one more closely. Michael sat still, simply watching her exploration of his body.

"It's a map of Fox River, right?" she asked slowly. He nodded. "Where's the infirmary?"

Michael smiled faintly, and reached up to gently grasp one of her small hands. He moved it along his chest, to rest over his left pectoral muscle. Sara smiled inwardly to herself; it was more than likely a complete coincidence but the infirmary, her infirmary, was tattooed right over his heart.

She continued to investigate his tattoos, getting up and moving around so she was looking at his back. Lightly running her fingers over the raw, red skin that was his healing burn, she sighed softly.

"You didn't really get burnt by Geary, did you Michael," she stated, feeling his muscles tense slightly.

"No. I was in the corridors behind my cell, wearing a guard's shirt, and a guard came by. I had to press up against a hot pipe to avoid getting seen," he told her, hating that he couldn't tell her the truth the first time she had ever asked.

She lightly traced down his spine. "And your toes, how did they really get cut off?"

"That would be John Abruzzi. I couldn't tell you at the time, since he was part of the plan."

Sara moved back around to his front, and brought a finger up to softly touch the small scar over his left eyebrow.

"I had Haywire as a cell mate, but he figured out the meaning of my tattoo. I had to get him gone and Sucre back, so I cut my head on the cell bars and made it out like he did it to me," Michael said, without her prompting him. "And before you ask, there was no toxic mould project for PI. But I couldn't tell you how I knew my way around when you asked up in the crawl space. It killed me to have to lie to you."

She slowly brought her finger down, tracing his jaw. It saddened her to see the look of self shame he wore on his face.

"Hey, don't forget this," she told him firmly. "Your brother is free, and you and I have the rest of our lives together. It's all worked out good."

He didn't reply, reaching over instead and pulling her into a hug. She relaxed into his embrace, relishing the safe, comforting feelings she experienced every time she was in his arms.

"So, I already know you made up having diabetes so you could get into the infirmary," she told him as they withdrew from each other. "But I have to ask, it has been bugging me for so long, how did you fake the results of the blood glucose test I gave you in your first week?"

A guilty expression crossed his face. "I, uh, was taking PUGNAC," he said meekly.

Her mouth dropped open and she lightly slapped him on the arm. "Michael, that's really dangerous! As your doctor, I'm pretty mad at you!"

He grinned. "But I'm sure you didn't mind seeing me every day, now did you?" His eyes glinted mischievously.

All she could do was shake her head hopelessly.

"So, we have several hours of just the two of us," he began, after she had finished checking him over and he'd pulled on a shirt. "There's really not much to do here, but long before I went into Fox River when I was setting everything up, I put a few things into this place, including a DVD player and some movies. Interested?"

Sara smiled and grabbed his hand. Pulling him off the bed with her, they headed downstairs together. Michael went into the living room to set up the DVD player and a movie, whilst she got them some snacks from the kitchen.

Michael lay down on the long couch, remote in hand, and waited patiently for her to come back. She soon entered with a bag of chips and two bottles of water in her hand.

"Come here," he said, an arm stretched out to her. She smiled and took her spot between his legs, leaning back so her head rested on his chest. He automatically slipped his arms around her stomach, and she couldn't help but think to herself how right this felt.

Michael pointed the remote at the screen and pressed a few buttons, and a movie began to play. It was an action/drama movie, and although it wasn't normally her type of movie Sara found herself getting right into it. Before she knew it, an hour and a half had flown by and the credits were rolling across the screen.

Carefully, she eased herself up and switched movies, then settled back into his embrace. The next movie began, however she quickly lost interest barely half an hour into it. She was more focused on Michael's hands. He was most likely mot even aware he was doing it, but had slipped his hands under the hem of her top and was tracing light patters on her skin. The feel of his touch was _amazing._

Not quite ten minutes later, Michael noticed she wasn't watching the movie. "You okay, Sara?"

She carefully rolled over in his arms, so their chests were pressed together and his arms around her back. His hands stayed under her top, this time gently rubbing her lower back.

In response, she reached up and brushed her lips over his. Enjoying this change of activities, Michael dipped his head forward for her next kiss, and deepened it before she could pull away. They remained like this for a few moments, then without warning Michael grabbed her tight and rolled them so she was under him, both nearly falling off the couch in the process.

"Whoa…hey," she said softly with a smirk. He grinned down at her, eyes fiery, and they continued to kiss. Her hands roamed freely over his back; however she soon found the material of his shirt annoying and paused only long enough to tug it off.

She now had his entire torso to stroke her hands over, and she did this with pleasure. She lightly raked her nails over his back, causing him to shudder involuntarily. He growled softly, and moved his hands to her stomach, rubbing the smooth skin. Once or twice a finger would brush the bottom of her bra, and he would immediately move his hands back down, yet Sara felt her whole body tingle.

"Michael," she half spoke, half moaned softly. He gazed into her eyes, to see them filled with passion. Keeping eye contact, she moved her hands to the hem of her top and started to tug it off.

"Sara, wait," he said, breaking the kiss, however she interrupted before he could continue,

"I want this," she told him, gazing into his eyes.

He stared back, eyes intense. "I want this too, god I do, but you're too important to me. I want to make it special, and this isn't good enough, stuck in a cabin whilst on the run. I hope you understand; I don't want to hurt you."

Sara smiled, and nodded her head in understanding. Her respect for him immediately rose even higher, and she couldn't believe how lucky she was to have found someone like him. "As much as I want this, I know you're right. Thankyou for respecting me enough to do that. I can't think of any other guy who would do that." She reached up and placed a light kiss on his lips.

Michael grinned back at her, and brought a hand up to her hair, lightly running it through the silky locks. Then his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Your hair's different…it's not as brown," he told her, stoking the strands gently.

Sara raised her eyebrows, surprised he had noticed. "God, you're good. I had dyed it dark brown, whilst we were on the run, but didn't use permanent dye. It washes out after about 10 washes."

"Good. You do look gorgeous now, but I love your auburn red hair," he said, continuing to run his fingers through it.

She blushed, and buried her face in his shoulder. He chuckled lightly and shifted on the couch, so she was half on the couch and half on him. She rested her head back on his chest, and they drifted in and out of conversation.

**TBC…**_ thanks to all who left me such kind reviews, I hope this next chapter met your expectations. As always, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

As the car rolled to a stop, Lincoln unclipped his seat belt and climbed out of the car. He was followed soon by Veronica, who hurriedly tucked the keys in her bag, and LJ jumped out of the back seat. The three headed up the porch steps to the front door, and Lincoln reached out to turn the knob but found it locked.

He knocked loudly on the door, and the three huddled together on the stoop as they waited. Lincoln kept glancing around nervously, despite knowing he was exonerated. He had learnt too much the past few weeks to drop his guard.

"Hey guys, you're back," Michael greeted them as he pulled the door open after checking through the window. They hurried inside, and he relocked the door after them.

"So Jane got picked up, and she's meeting up with a few attorneys this afternoon," Veronica filled him in as she took her jacket off.

"Good, good, everything's set to plan. Are you right to go tomorrow like we planned?" Michael asked her, and an indignant look grew on his brother's face. "You can go along if you want," he told Lincoln, who nodded gladly.

"What about me?" LJ asked uncertainly. Michael grinned at him, giving the teenager a slight one armed hug.

"That's up to you. Sara and I will be here, so you can just chill out here for the day or go with your dad. We'll probably be leaving here the day after," Michael informed him.

"That soon?" said a new voice, and the group turned to see Sara entering the room.

"Yep. I'll know more one I speak to Jane on the phone tonight," he told her, automatically reaching out to take her hand. "But for the rest of today, we can just relax, have a few beers, catch up with each other." This last sentence he directed more at Veronica, who grinned.

"Damn, we left the beers on the boat, didn't we," Lincoln groaned. "Mike, wanna go with me and grab them? I'm not too sure where the boat is."

Michael nodded, and gave Sara's hand a quick squeeze before releasing her. "Coming, LJ?" he asked, who nodded. The three men headed out the front door, leaving the two women to themselves.

"Uh, do you want a cup of coffee? Or would you prefer a beer when the boys get back?" Sara asked, trying to avoid an awkward silence. Veronica smiled.

"Coffee would be great. Let me help you," she replied.

The two women busied themselves making coffee, and sat down at the table with the steaming beverages. Conversation came easily to them, and Sara found herself really liking the other woman. Veronica felt likewise. They chatted about everything – from Michael and Lincoln, to Fox River and the run, to hobbies and interests – and not once did the conversation lull.

Before they knew it, half an hour had passed and Michael, Lincoln and LJ returned. They walked through the door, joking and laughing, and Sara couldn't help but notice how happy Michael was. Such a big difference to the silent, smooth inmate he had been at Fox River, and she loved this light side of him.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, coming over to her and wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Didn't even notice you were gone," she replied jokingly, and chuckled at the wounded look on his face. She grinned and reached up to kiss him lightly. "Of course I did," she added quietly, so the others wouldn't hear. A beam flashed across his face.

The small group moved into the living room, spreading out on the couches with their beverages. The mood was calm and relaxed; for once the stress and tension from the escape had dissolved, if only for the meantime. Michael leaned back into the sofa which he was sitting on next to LJ, watching Sara out of the corner of his eye. She was next to Veronica on the other sofa opposite him, with her legs curled under her.

Lincoln sat in an armchair, surveying the people before him. He smiled to himself. This was his family, and they were all together. Maybe not for long, but for now, and at the moment that was good enough.

The group easily moved into conversation, each person taking care not to mention police, or the run, or anything that would evaporate the relaxed atmosphere. They talked for an easy hour or two, and when the conversation lulled Veronica asked Sara a question. The two women began chatting to themselves, and occasionally Michael, Lincoln or LJ would talk between themselves. However, when Michael finished saying something to Lincoln and the older brother didn't continue, LJ chose the opportunity to voice a question that had been plaguing him since Jane had told him they were meeting up with his dad two days earlier.

"Hey, uh, Uncle Mike?" he began slowly.

Michael glances at him, noticing how the teen was staring at his hands. "Yeah man?" He glanced quickly at Lincoln, but the man wasn't paying attention.

"Well, what's going to happen now? Once you and Sara are cleared, and we go back to living normally, how will that work? I mean, dad doesn't have a house, and Veronica's house got blown up, and you lost your loft when you went to Fox River. Where are we going to go?" LJ asked, raising his head to look at his uncle. "And you guys don't have jobs anymore, and-"

Michael held up a hand to stop LJ's questions. "Hey man, don't stress about that. I still need to talk to everyone properly about this; we all – including you – need to decide a few things. Do we want to stay living in Chicago, or move around, we have a few options. We have money, so that's not a problem. But I wouldn't mind living in a house next door to you and your dad, and knock the fence down so we can have a huge yard and chill out on the weekends having barbeques."

LJ smiled. "That would be cool," he said, losing some of the worry that was etched across his face.

""But we'll wait til this is all over before we decide. Just keep in mind, we're a family still. We're in it together now, no more running." Michael lightly punched his nephew on the arm, who grinned and shoved him back.

Sara, still chatting with Veronica, stole a glance at Michael and LJ fooling around, and smiled to herself. _He's going to make the best dad one day_, she thought to herself, then shook her hear lightly. She was doing it again, assuming her and Michael were going to get married and start a family! She had to stop that, before she accidentally blurted something out and totally embarrassed herself – again.

"What?" Veronica asked quietly, noticing the light blush on Sara's cheeks.

Sara looked up at the other woman, and smiled sheepishly. "It's nothing. Once or twice I've caught myself thinking something about the future, as if Michael and I are getting married and having kids. I accidentally blurted something out in front of Linc, god that was embarrassing. But Michael and I haven't even discussed what will happen in a few days time when we're cleared, let alone where we stand for the future."

Veronica grinned, grabbing Sara's hand and giving it a sisterly squeeze. "Trust me; I don't think you need to worry. I've known Michael all his life, and I've never seen him look at another girl the way he looks at you."

Sara matched her smile. "That's really good to know, thanks. What do you see happening for you and Lincoln? I've only seen you two together once, when he was nearly executed – sorry, don't mean to upset you," she added hastily as Veronica flinched slightly.

"It's okay," Veronica replied. "I just can't believe how close I came to losing him. We've always been close, dated for a while, but I never realised how important he is to me til I almost lost him. I hope we can make it work this time."

Sara smiled to herself, hoping that things would work out well between Veronica and Lincoln. She had an image of her and Michael living in a house next door to Lincoln, Veronica and LJ, getting together for barbeques every weekend. Little did she know, Michael had been having almost identical thoughts.

"Who's up for spaghetti?" Lincoln asked an hour or two later, glancing at his watch and realising it was past six.

As he heard his brother speak, Michael felt his stomach grumble slightly. LJ heard it and laughed as he got up. They all moved into the kitchen, and the two women sat at the table and resumed chatting, leaving the men to cook.

The meal was made and eaten, and they moved back to the living room. Everyone was feeling relaxed and lazy, and Michael put a movie into the DVD player. He stretched out on the couch and Sara automatically joined him, settling between his legs and resting back on his chest. The last thing she remembered was the soothing feel of Michael's arms wrapping around her stomach, before she drifted off in his arms. LJ, who was sitting on the sofa with Lincoln, fell asleep barely ten minutes into the movie.

"So, I gotta admit, I'm proud of everything you accomplished, to break out of Fox River," Veronica said quietly to Michael. He grinned. "Well, at least now I realise why you wouldn't put up a fight at your hearing for robbing the bank," she continued. "I just thought you did it to be close to Linc. God, you guys need some serious therapy."

"Hold on, I'm the normal one thanks," Lincoln protested humorously. He nodded towards his brother. "He's the screwed up one who tattooed a blueprint on is body."

Veronica smiled softly at Lincoln, and they shared a sweet look. She broke eye contact first, feeling slightly nervous at the tingles she was feeling in her stomach. All her feelings were coming back to him, twice as strong.

"But how you managed to plan all that is beyond me," Veronica said to Michael, trying to stay focused.

"Yeah, well my LLI has been a part of that. It comes in handy, I'll tell you that," Michael answered lightly. Lincoln raised his eyebrows slightly. Never, in all the years the two had been brothers, had Michael mentioned his LLI. He normally hated talking about it, which both Lincoln and Veronica were well aware of.

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking…does Sara know about it?" Veronica asked somewhat carefully. She had to be careful with this topic, as it often made Michael clam up.

"Yeah, she knows. I don't know how, I haven't told her, but she does and I'm glad. I want to be upfront with her about everything, no more lies. Once this running is all over, we'll talk about it," Michael replied neutrally. He didn't appear bothered by the question, but avoided eye contact by gazing down at Sara's sleeping face.

Lincoln couldn't help but to feel proud of his little brother. And despite the situation they were all in, he hadn't seen him happier. It was time his brother got what he deserved.

They drifted off into a comfortable silence for a few moments, each pondering different thoughts. Veronica let her gaze drift around the room, until it landed upon LJ, reminding her of something.

"So, I noticed LJ asking you before but I didn't hear your answer, what are we going to do after all this is over?" she asked Michael. Lincoln glanced up curiously.

"I'd rather talk about it when Sara's awake," Michael replied, "but I'll give you the brief idea. We have some options; we have Westmoreland's money but we can't use too much in case we tip off the police. However, I have a feeling we may get given money from the government, for all this we've been through – after all, they did almost execute an innocent man. But money aside, we need to decide where we want to settle down. I'd rather leave Chicago, but Sara still has her apartment – I've had someone taking care of it," he added hastily as Lincoln looked up at him with a questioning look.

"But what if Sara wants to stay?" Veronica asked softly, her eyes drifting down over Sara's sleeping form in Michael's arms.

"If she stays, I stay. I'm not leaving her behind. But considering everything that has happened, I think she'll want a fresh start somewhere else. Go to a place where she doesn't have any memories," Michael replied as he slipped his hands under the hem of her top and began tracing light patterns on her soft skin. She shifted slightly and burrowed further into his arms without waking. Lincoln noticed this and grinned.

"Hmm, something tells me there's going to be wedding bells in the not too distant future," he teased, and Michael's cheeks tinged pink slightly. The younger brother chose to ignore him, and instead glanced down at Sara's face.

"C'mon, I think it's time to get her, and LJ, to bed. We're all going to need plenty of rest for the next few days though, I think," he said, smoothly changing the subject. The others nodded.

Michael rose and gently lifted Sara up in his arms, cradling her tightly to his chest. Lincoln shook LJ on the shoulder, who awoke with bleary eyes.

"C'mon man, let's go to bed," Lincoln said quietly. Still half asleep, LJ nodded and got up, following the others upstairs. Michael nodded towards a door on the right at the end of the hallway, signalling an empty bedroom to LJ.

"Goodnight guys," LJ said with a yawn, and headed off towards the bedroom.

"This room is Linc's, that one is mine and Sara's, and the one opposite LJ's is another bedroom," Michael told Veronica, who nodded. She wished Michael goodnight, then turned to Lincoln and placed a soft kiss upon his lips. Before he could respond, she turned and disappeared into the spare bedroom.

Lincoln simply shook his head, and after glaring at Michael's smirk he entered his room and closed the door. Michael was left standing in the hallway with Sara, who was still fast asleep in his arms.

Entering their room, he carefully placed her on the bed without her stirring. He lay down next to her and drew a blanket over them. She automatically reached out to him and curled up against his side, and he placed a soft kiss against her temple.

"Love you Michael," she murmured, yet her eyes were still closed. Michael smiled in the dark and brought his arm around her shoulders

"Love you too Sara."

_A/N: Thanks for all the kind reviews, they're highly appreciated. Hope this next chapter met your expectations, it was bit of a filler to give info and stuff. More to come soon…_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

A shrill scream pierced through the dark, silent night. Michael's eyes snapped open and he shot up into a seated position in the bed, to see Sara sitting up next to him. She was shaking and sweaty, yet what got him most worried were the tears streaming down her cheeks, shining in the moonlight.

"Sara, what's wrong, what's happened? Are you hurt?" he asked frantically, bringing his hands up to cup her cheeks as his eyes did a quick scan to check she was physically okay. She didn't reply, simply turning to him and burying her face in his shoulder, clutching him tightly. He brought his arms around her back, hugging her just as tightly to his chest as he whispered soothing words into her ear.

Just as her shoulders began to ease in their shaking, the bedroom door burst open, startling them both. Lincoln stood in the doorway, a worried expression upon his face, and Veronica and LJ peered in from behind.

_It's okay_, Michael mouthed at them. Lincoln nodded and backed up, closing the door quietly behind them. Michael turned his attention back to Sara, who's shaking was easing up. He gently stroked her hair with one hand and rubbed her back with the other. After several long moments, Sara withdrew slightly and drew in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that," she said slowly, bringing a soft hand up to gently caress his cheek. "It was just a nightmare, it was nothing. You can go back to sleep."

"Hey, it's not nothing if it got you this upset," he replied, his voice soft but his tone firm. He stared into her beautiful brown orbs, relieved to see there were no more tears. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She drew in a deep, shaky breath, smiling tightly to mask her true emotions. "I, uh, I've just been having a recurring dream lately…ever since Gila," she said, tensing at the last few words. She knew he would understand immediately, and he reacted just as she thought.

Michael's eyes narrowed and an angry expression crossed his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but she placed a finger over his lips.

"Michael, I should never have left you in Gila. I got out to my car, then realised I didn't want to be without you. It was my fault; I made it easy for Kellerman to capture me. I'm so sorry," she said sadly. She took her finger from her lips and brought her arms in front of her body, slightly hugging herself. To Michael, it looked like she was trying to shield herself from the memories, and it made his heart break.

"Don't blame yourself, Sara. I should have gone outside after you, I could have protected you. I'm so sorry that this has happened to you, and I wish I could take it all away. But right here, right now, I promise to you that as long as I live, no other person will ever hurt you again. Ever." He took her hands in his and pulled her lightly forward, so there were only inches between them. He rested his forehead against hers, gazing into her eyes to show his sincerity. "I promise."

Her lips found his, and they shared a strong, heated kiss, showing each other how much they meant to one another. They broke apart, but stayed very close. "Promise me something else," she said so softly, barely above a whisper.

"Anything," he breathed back.

"Promise me you'll never leave me." her eyes suddenly filled with tears, which concerned him. One spilled over and slid down her cheek, and he leaned forward to kiss it away.

"I promise I will never leave you. I couldn't Sara, you mean too much to me. Without you, I have nothing…what brought this on?" he asked concernedly.

"Uh, well I'm not just dreaming about what Kellerman did to me. I see them take you away from me, getting thrown back into Fox River and never getting to see you again. I can't live without you." She stared at her lap, too afraid to look up at him. What if she was scaring him off?

Her worries were soon put to rest by him, as he tilted her head up, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I love you too much. So, wether you like it or not, you're stuck with me."

They shared a sweet smile, before Michael lay back down on the bed, pulling her along. She leaned against his torso, resting her head on his shoulder.

"So, what can I do to take these nightmares away?" he pondered aloud. She glanced up to see him grinning, and their lips met halfway.

_Definitely a good way to distract me_, Sara thought contentedly during mid-kiss.

* * *

The next morning, Michael awoke early. Sara was still nestled in his arms, fast asleep, and he carefully eased off the bed without disturbing her. The room was mostly dark, and as he passed by the window he could just see the first few weak rays of the sun, which was yet to rise. He tiptoed out of the room, and headed down the staircase.

"Morning man," said a voice as he entered the kitchen, and Michael glanced up to see Lincoln at the table with a mug of coffee in his hands.

"Morning Linc. You're up early," Michael replied, going over to the counter and getting out a mug. There was a nearly full pot of coffee already brewed, which he helped himself to.

"Yeah, too much on my mind. I'm sure I'll sleep better in a few days," Lincoln replied. He waited until Michael sat down across from him at the table with a mug of coffee, before lowering his voice slightly. "So, Sara last night…is she okay?"

Michael noticed the concern on his brother's face, and gave a tired smile. "She's okay. Not doing too great, all the stress of the past few weeks has really caught up to her. She's been having nightmares, from what Kellerman did to her…" His voice hardened up at the last few words. "And I let him near her. When he was helping us on the train, and with Sara's key…After she tried to kill him, I should have known that it was worse than she let on. God, why didn't I do something about it then?"

"Hey, hey, don't beat yourself up about it," Lincoln interrupted. "She had already been hurt by him, and as long as we were around he wouldn't have done it again. We used him to help with the key, and then we dumped him. It's all in the past, so now you need to focus on the future, and helping her get past it."

"Yeah, you're right I guess," Michael replied.

"Of course I'm right. I'm the older brother," Lincoln joked lightly, making Michael grin. They kidded around with each other for a few minutes before being distracted by footsteps coming down the staircase.

"Hi guys," Veronica greeted them, dressed in a pressed shirt and knee length black skirt. "Linc, don't forget we have a meeting with that friend of Sara's father today. We're going to have to leave soon; the plane will be there to pick us up at 9am." She headed over to the coffee machine and poured a quick cup.

"Good, so I need you to call me immediately after that meeting," Michael replied before Lincoln had a chance to respond. "This should all get cleared up after today, I hope, depending how it goes."

"Sure," Veronica answered as she took a seat at the table next to Lincoln. "From what Jane told me yesterday, she got the names of some government members who aren't involved with the Company, so they will be there too. I have a good feeling about today."

"Well I better get ready then," Lincoln said, getting up from the table. He headed upstairs, leaving the two to continue talking about the Company members and the meeting.

Lincoln spent a few minutes having a quick shower and getting changed, then headed out of the room. Instead of going back downstairs, he poked his head into LJ's bedroom, where he saw his son fast asleep in bed. He decided to let him sleep, and tiptoed out of the room.

* * *

LJ slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the bright sunlight streaming through the window. He stretched out in the bed, contemplating wether he should get up or not. He had no idea what time it was, but felt so comfortable under the warm covers. However he could just hear faint noises coming from downstairs, and figured he may as well get up and find out what the plans for the day were.

Yawning loudly, he got up and exited his room, not bothering to change out of the sweatpants and shirt he had slept in. He followed the sounds downstairs, and towards the kitchen.

"Hey sleepyhead," Sara said as LJ entered the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. She was standing at the counter with a loaf of bread, making sandwiches.

"Morning Sara" he replied. "What time is it?"

"Twelve thirty. Guess you were really tired," Sara told him, grinning slightly at the surprised look on his face at hearing how late it was.

"Is dad here?" LJ asked, gladly accepting the sandwich that Sara held out on a plate and taking a seat at the table.

"No, he's with Veronica and Michael, they've been meeting with some government people and people from our side all morning, getting this sorted out. I'm just waiting on their phone call to see how it all went, it should be over soon." She joined him at the table with her own lunch, and joined him at the table. Wanting to avoid an awkward silence, she asked him a question about school, and were both chatting along like old pals in no time.

Around twenty minutes later, a cell phone sitting atop the kitchen counter began to ring loudly, the shrill sound startling them both. Sara jumped out of her seat, and after quickly checking the caller id she flipped the phone open.

"Hello?" she said into the phone, and LJ eyed her with interest. He had no idea what the person on the other end of the phone was saying, but it must have been great news because Sara's face broke into a huge grin.

"Thank god…that's wonderful…how much longer?...yeah…" she continued, nodding into the phone. Michael's voice, although sounding slightly tinny through the phone, was extremely excited, matching just how she felt. Everything was over; there would be no police or anyone pursuing him or her, and the entire Company had been completely dismantled, with many of the higher up people locked away in prison.

"What, what is it?" LJ asked as he caught her eye. She smiled and glanced away, concentrating on what Michael was saying to her.

"Okay…sure…love you too. Bye." She flipped the phone shut and placed it carefully on the counter, then casually walked back over to the kitchen table. She purposefully sat down at the table and took a sip from her coffee, before glancing up at LJ's expectant face.

"Oh, right. It's over," she said, and they both broke out into matching grins. "They'll be here in a few hours, but it all went well, the Company leaders are in prison, and Lincoln was awarded a settlement payout for almost being wrongfully killed in Fox River. Michael, you and I have all been given full pardons as well."

"That's awesome," LJ said. He rose out of his chair and leant over, wrapping his arms around Sara in a hug. She was slightly surprised, yet hugged him back.

"Thanks Sara," he told her, blushing slightly at his show of affection as he withdrew.

"For what?" she asked as she picked up their dirty plates and took them over to the sink.

"For not treating me like a kid," LJ replied. "This whole time, Dad and everyone's been treating me like I'm still a child, but I'm sixteen, I'm not a kid anymore. Even Veronica has, the past few days. But you don't, and I really appreciate that."

"It's okay. But your dad and everyone? Give them time. These past weeks have been stressful on all of us, but things will settle down now, and your dad will see you're not a kid," she told him. He sighed slightly but nodded, and slowly got up from his chair.

"Okay, well I think I'll go have a shower," LJ said, and headed out of the kitchen, leaving Sara to herself. She slowly moved back over to the table and picked up her half full mug of coffee, and took a sip. Deep in thought, she sat down at the kitchen table and gazed into her coffee, plans of the future running through her head. Although she would never tell anyone, those plans included an intricately designed cot and a small, blue eyed, auburn haired baby.

_A/N…I'm pretty sure I'm nearing the end, most likely to only be one more chapter after this, although if it's liked enough I may consider a sequel. Anyway, thanks for the reviews, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter :)_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Michael drummed his fingers absently on the armrest as he gazed out at the passing scrub, not taking anything in. He was too distracted by how intense the past few weeks had been, ever since the moment Bellick found the hole in the guard break room. Yet most of all, the main item on his mind was his progressing relationship with Sara. Never before had he felt so strongly for another person that wasn't a part of his family. Or at least not blood related, as after all they had been through, she was now family.

"You alright back there?" Lincoln's voice broke into Michael's train of thought, causing him to look away from the window. He met his brother's eyes peering at him in the rear view mirror.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Michael replied. "Just ready to get out of here and start the rest of our lives." He ran a hand over his shorn hair and returned his gaze to the window.

Lincoln grinned as he steered the car along the dirt road, silently agreeing with his brother. A quick glance at Veronica in the passenger seat next to him and he knew she shared the same thoughts.

"Well, hope you're ready now," Lincoln said, as the cabin appeared up ahead. Michael shifted in his seat as he peered eagerly over his brother's shoulder.

Inside, Sara was sitting in on the couch with LJ, casually flipping through an old magazine whilst chatting. Yet she heard the faint sounds of a car approaching, and got up.

"What's up?" LJ asked, seeing her rise with her head cocked slightly.

"I think they're back," she replied with a smile, and walked out of the room to the front door. LJ followed along right behind her. She opened the door and stepped out into the sunshine, and leaned against the porch railing as she watched the car pull up and Michael, Lincoln and Veronica climbed out.

Michael looked up, and his eyes locked with Sara's. Without leaving her gaze, he slammed the car door shut and made his way up to the porch steps. With a grin, he reached out to Sara and swung her around lightly, before pulling her close.

"Hey you," he said lightly with a grin, bringing his hands to rest at her hips and squeezing slightly.

"Hey to you back," she replied, smiling. She tilted her head upwards slightly and he took the hint, meeting her halfway for a kiss. As he pulled away, she took a slow breath to calm her racing pulse. "So, you fixed everything?" she asked casually.

He nodded, and moved to take her hand. "Are you ready to get out of here, and get on with our lives?"

"God, yes, it's barely been three days and already I'm bored out of my mind," she said dryly, swatting his arm lightly when he chuckled.

"Alright then, let's get everything together and head off, start our new lives," he announced to the group.

Together, the five of them headed inside and began to gather up their belongings. Sara was surprised at how far they had items spread around the place in just a few days. But in no time at all, they were standing back on the balcony with several bags; Lincoln clutching their precious bag of millions.

"C'mon, let's get out of here and get back to civilisation," Lincoln called and headed down the porch steps. LJ hurried after, and Veronica at a slower pace. Sara started to move, but felt Michael's hand slip into hers and his warm breath on her cheek.

"You ready?" he asked softly, lightly squeezing her hand. She nodded and drew a deep breath, and together they walked down the porch steps and towards the car.

Lincoln, who still had the keys, climbed into the driver's seat, and Veronica slipped into the front passenger seat. LJ, Michael and Sara all got into the back, with Michael in the middle. As soon as they had all buckled up and Lincoln was reversing down the driveway, Michael slipped his hand back into hers and gave it a small squeeze. Sara, who was staring out the window, didn't turn her head but returned the squeeze. Michael could see a smile forming on her lips, and smiled to himself in happiness.

"So Dad, where are we going?" LJ asked, breaking the silence. Lincoln glanced through the rear view mirror to observe his son.

"We'll be driving for a couple of hours to the airstrip, where the new President has arranged a private jet to pick us up and take us to Chicago," Lincoln replied. "We have a fully furnished apartment to use until we find a place, and Sara's still got her apartment there too-"

"What?" Sara cut in, turning her attention forward. "How can I still have it? I haven't been there in weeks, I haven't paid rent. Surely the landlord's taken it back."

"It's okay, I've handled it. You still have your apartment, plus all your belongings," Michael said reassuringly. She gave him a grateful smile, and reached up to give him a soft kiss. After a moment, Michael began to draw away, but Sara quickly brought one hand up to the back of his neck to bring his face back down to hers. They shared another kiss, this time longer and more passionate, until LJ groaned.

"C'mon guys, not while I'm stuck in the backseat with you two," he complained. "There'll be plenty of time for that later."

Michael broke the kiss and swatted his nephew over the head playfully. Subtly, he brought his other hand next to him, sliding it over Sara's lap until he found her hand, squeezing it gently.

The entire few hours they were in the car to the airstrip, Michael did not release her hand once. The group all chatted to each other, enjoying each other's company and the relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

LJ was happier than he had been in a long time. When his mother had been murdered and his father and uncle were still in Fox River, he couldn't possibly see how his life was going to get better. Yet here he was, surrounded by his family – old and new – and the main feeling he was experiencing was contentment. No matter what happened from now on, everything was going to be okay.

"All right, finally," Lincoln said, breaking several minutes of comfortable silence as they arrived at the airstrip. He parked the car and they all quickly got out, where they were then met by Jane and the pilot.

"Excellent. Are you guys ready to head off?" she asked, giving them all a wide smile.

"Yeah, let's get this show on the road!" Lincoln exclaimed, giving his son a high five.

As Lincoln, Veronica, LJ and Jane were distracted with climbing into the chopper, Michael turned to Sara. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight, and rested his forehead against hers.

"Now, Miss Tancredi, are you ready to get out of here?" he asked softly, ending the sentence by dropping a soft kiss upon her lips.

Sara slid her arms up and around his neck, drawing herself flush against his body. "More than ever," she murmured, tilting her head up slightly to receive another kiss.

"Come on you two, break it up," a yell came from behind them, and Michael turned to see Veronica hanging out of the chopper, a cheeky smile on her face. Michael glared at her with a playful glint in his eyes, and Veronica chuckled and turned away.

"Lets get out of here and start our new lives," Sara said, beginning to release him. Before she could, Michael suddenly pressed one last kiss to her lips. Sara closed her eyes and she felt all the love, and care, and passion in that one kiss.

They slowly broke the kiss, and Michael gave her a quick, tight hug. Just before he pulled away, he whispered a sentence in her ear that made a wide smile break out on her face.

"Our new beginning."

The End

_Well, its finished. I apologize for taking so long to update, I've been debating to myself whether or not to finish it or not, as I've really enjoyed writing it. But, it just feels done, so I'm going to leave it at this, however I'm considering writing a sequel, as I love Michael and Sara so much. So thanks to all my reviewers for your support, it has been very encouraging and I highly appreciate it._


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